Visiting UK is my nightmare only for one reason that in some nights I just can't sleep and then my mental condition goes worst. Whether I can slepp or not is not the question but my brain tells me that I can't sleep here.
I dont feel claustrophobic in plane or train or anywhere else but in those houses thats my problem. My other problem there is those soft beds. I cant sleep in them.
Luckily this time in our 24 days stay I had problem only twice and both the times it was solved quickly.
Munmun was always chosey or lucky to have the best room all the time.
At farm house she had the room with best view of the fields where she use to sit on window sill to watch rabbits and cats in the lawn. One morning we saw Ginger cat carrying a baby rabbit.
We landed at Birmingham by Air India flight. Air India system is a complete mess. Now when you book your flight ticket you need to pay for your seat also otherwise if you are more than one person flying together then there is no guarantee that you both will be sitting together. This is now an International Cheating through legal system. Previously when you are booking your ticket at the same time you can book your seat too but now even after paying for ticket they want money from you for your preferable seat.
We had arguement after arguement with Air India staff for not being able to provide us the seat which we booked and for which we already paid in advance.
Their silly excuse was that the flight came from Amritsar and Amritsar booking clerk has already alotted these seats to someone else.
How it can be possible. Once we have paid and booked the seat through their system only then how come their staff didn't see that these seats are already booked from Delhi.
Our situation was that plane door was closed, some staff still holding our boarding pass and our passports and we three were standing near the pantry.
This was Munmun's first National or International flight which started with a chaos. Poor girl has no clue about the system and me and Kay were damn mad.
At last when plane started rolling the air hostess gave Kay the boarding pass and our passports with an excuse that our problem could not be solved so Kay and Munmun sat together on ther seats which has enough leg room and I sat away from them in a different row.
I am not biased about Air India but I know how good and cost affecting food can be served in air lines. We (M.P.Tourism) have run airport canteen for years in Bhopal and when I was Manager Hotel Panchanan often the Menu for different airlines food were decided there.
Air India served us a packet of Chana Murmura with tea. When you are serving food to an unknown gentry then food served should be palatable to all. I could not eat that Chana Murmura pkt and so the Munmun only because it was too spicy then question doesn't arise for Kay to touch it.
Meal was very poor. We had potato curry with jeera fried rice with few green pea rolling in them. Sweet was some in between of Rasgulla and Gulab jamun, hard that could not be cut by that plastic spoon. Only thing good in that meal was a pkt of yoghurt.
Looks like some A+++ class idiot must be looking after the catering department of Air India.
Air Hostess gave us the embarkation cards to be filled by all foreigners landing in UK so we also filled it but no one asked for these cards at immigration counter.
Reply was UK has stopped it. Its all digital now, we already have your information.
Munmun had to face few questions at immigration desk. Simple routine questions why you have come and how long you are staying. She said I have come to meet my aunts family and this is my holiday.
At Delhi airport I bought a Vodafone sim for UK. That was the best decision and best buy. I changed my sim in my phone at Birmingham airport itself and called the taxi man. We used Bromsgrove Taxi service where we met Turkish Pakistani and Indian drivers. They provided us good service.
It was still day light at 1900 and Munmun was just watching road traffic and speedy cars. Later on we found that she fascinated by sheeps. First ten days every time she saw them she use to shout sheeeeep.
We dont know how much she grasp from this visit. It could not be a culture shock for her because she was seeing foreigners since her childhood but yes how people live here was far far different than our living. We survive on servants and maids and there people finish the job then and there.
I was wondering that why she did not shown any interest in seeing the dish washer that how it works. Probably she must have been shy to ask.
First sixr nights we stayed at The Durrance Holiday Farm House. We had a three bedroom Bungalow . A bedroom kitchen and dining hall on ground floor and two bedrooms on first floor.
Ms Helen owns this property. We didn't knew that she knows Kay's sister well. She made a huge Chocolate cake for us.
First night we had some snacks with tea and Chocolate cake. On the last day when we were leaving we asked Munmun to finish the cake because in last 5 days we could not finish it. It was superb. Munmun relish it and so the we.
Kay organised this trip very well. She printed the footpath map from Durrance cottage to Bromsgrove which we explored in next few days.
Sleep quality in Durrance cottage was very good. Munmun had no jet lag problem. She could sleep any where.
Next morning I cooked omellette for Munmun and we had Fruits cereal and toast. Tetley tea in UK is far better in taste then what we get here. Although same company, Tata..
Munmun and Kay loved free range egg served at Durrance cottage. They have few chickens in a pen where Munmun has to feed them with our kitchen waste.
Munmun was amazed to see cow grazing in fields and footpath going through these fields. Once she learnt the footpath sign then quite a few times she found the footpath exit or entry gate.
Footpaths are legal there but still farmers dont like people to walk through their fields. Their fear is all the disease what a walker can bring from other fields in to his.
Munmun liked meeting Sue, Kay's sister. She found Sue a very jolly person. Yes Sue is always smiling. While walking at Sue and Pete's land munmun was just watching all the machinery lying there.
After having some Cake, Chocolate and Tea we walk to Bromsgrove market.
To an Indian standard Munmun was given tons of money by Kay for her shopping in UK.
In fact Munmun's visit to UK was entirely paid off by Kay. Munmun had no clue what to buy and where to buy. She was just walking and window shopping.
She did some shopping here and Kay told her to wait for tomorrow when we go to Worcester.
Next morning we took a train to Worcester city.
Munmun was seeing the time table display and arrival of the train . 10.13 means 10.13 and train moved.She did not speak much in train but amazed to see the clean train and seats. Often we were traveled in quiet coach. Munmun always tried to get the window seat to see her favorite animal sheep.
We walk to the river to see those Bricks which marks the flood marks of different years. Best way to keep the flood record. I knew that one person who was Principal in Saint Johns College Agra was from Worcester and buried here in Worcester Cathedral.
Here only paid cameras are allowed in cathedral.
Munmun had great fun in Worcester. Kay took her in all the shops to look for clothes for her. Her shopping includes Bag, shoes, Jeans and some tops, some for Mahi and something for Mini.
Had a nice meal in M&S and then back to Durrance Cottage for over night.
Munmun enjoyed her shopping in worcester and Kay was busy for whole night thinking What to do tomorrow.
I dont feel claustrophobic in plane or train or anywhere else but in those houses thats my problem. My other problem there is those soft beds. I cant sleep in them.
Luckily this time in our 24 days stay I had problem only twice and both the times it was solved quickly.
Munmun was always chosey or lucky to have the best room all the time.
At farm house she had the room with best view of the fields where she use to sit on window sill to watch rabbits and cats in the lawn. One morning we saw Ginger cat carrying a baby rabbit.
We had arguement after arguement with Air India staff for not being able to provide us the seat which we booked and for which we already paid in advance.
Their silly excuse was that the flight came from Amritsar and Amritsar booking clerk has already alotted these seats to someone else.
How it can be possible. Once we have paid and booked the seat through their system only then how come their staff didn't see that these seats are already booked from Delhi.
Our situation was that plane door was closed, some staff still holding our boarding pass and our passports and we three were standing near the pantry.
This was Munmun's first National or International flight which started with a chaos. Poor girl has no clue about the system and me and Kay were damn mad.
At last when plane started rolling the air hostess gave Kay the boarding pass and our passports with an excuse that our problem could not be solved so Kay and Munmun sat together on ther seats which has enough leg room and I sat away from them in a different row.
I am not biased about Air India but I know how good and cost affecting food can be served in air lines. We (M.P.Tourism) have run airport canteen for years in Bhopal and when I was Manager Hotel Panchanan often the Menu for different airlines food were decided there.
Air India served us a packet of Chana Murmura with tea. When you are serving food to an unknown gentry then food served should be palatable to all. I could not eat that Chana Murmura pkt and so the Munmun only because it was too spicy then question doesn't arise for Kay to touch it.
Meal was very poor. We had potato curry with jeera fried rice with few green pea rolling in them. Sweet was some in between of Rasgulla and Gulab jamun, hard that could not be cut by that plastic spoon. Only thing good in that meal was a pkt of yoghurt.
Looks like some A+++ class idiot must be looking after the catering department of Air India.
Air Hostess gave us the embarkation cards to be filled by all foreigners landing in UK so we also filled it but no one asked for these cards at immigration counter.
Reply was UK has stopped it. Its all digital now, we already have your information.
Munmun had to face few questions at immigration desk. Simple routine questions why you have come and how long you are staying. She said I have come to meet my aunts family and this is my holiday.
At Delhi airport I bought a Vodafone sim for UK. That was the best decision and best buy. I changed my sim in my phone at Birmingham airport itself and called the taxi man. We used Bromsgrove Taxi service where we met Turkish Pakistani and Indian drivers. They provided us good service.
It was still day light at 1900 and Munmun was just watching road traffic and speedy cars. Later on we found that she fascinated by sheeps. First ten days every time she saw them she use to shout sheeeeep.
We dont know how much she grasp from this visit. It could not be a culture shock for her because she was seeing foreigners since her childhood but yes how people live here was far far different than our living. We survive on servants and maids and there people finish the job then and there.
I was wondering that why she did not shown any interest in seeing the dish washer that how it works. Probably she must have been shy to ask.
First sixr nights we stayed at The Durrance Holiday Farm House. We had a three bedroom Bungalow . A bedroom kitchen and dining hall on ground floor and two bedrooms on first floor.
Ms Helen owns this property. We didn't knew that she knows Kay's sister well. She made a huge Chocolate cake for us.
First night we had some snacks with tea and Chocolate cake. On the last day when we were leaving we asked Munmun to finish the cake because in last 5 days we could not finish it. It was superb. Munmun relish it and so the we.
Kay organised this trip very well. She printed the footpath map from Durrance cottage to Bromsgrove which we explored in next few days.
Sleep quality in Durrance cottage was very good. Munmun had no jet lag problem. She could sleep any where.
Next morning I cooked omellette for Munmun and we had Fruits cereal and toast. Tetley tea in UK is far better in taste then what we get here. Although same company, Tata..
Munmun and Kay loved free range egg served at Durrance cottage. They have few chickens in a pen where Munmun has to feed them with our kitchen waste.
Munmun was amazed to see cow grazing in fields and footpath going through these fields. Once she learnt the footpath sign then quite a few times she found the footpath exit or entry gate.
Footpaths are legal there but still farmers dont like people to walk through their fields. Their fear is all the disease what a walker can bring from other fields in to his.
Munmun liked meeting Sue, Kay's sister. She found Sue a very jolly person. Yes Sue is always smiling. While walking at Sue and Pete's land munmun was just watching all the machinery lying there.
After having some Cake, Chocolate and Tea we walk to Bromsgrove market.
To an Indian standard Munmun was given tons of money by Kay for her shopping in UK.
In fact Munmun's visit to UK was entirely paid off by Kay. Munmun had no clue what to buy and where to buy. She was just walking and window shopping.
She did some shopping here and Kay told her to wait for tomorrow when we go to Worcester.
Next morning we took a train to Worcester city.
Munmun was seeing the time table display and arrival of the train . 10.13 means 10.13 and train moved.She did not speak much in train but amazed to see the clean train and seats. Often we were traveled in quiet coach. Munmun always tried to get the window seat to see her favorite animal sheep.
We walk to the river to see those Bricks which marks the flood marks of different years. Best way to keep the flood record. I knew that one person who was Principal in Saint Johns College Agra was from Worcester and buried here in Worcester Cathedral.
Here only paid cameras are allowed in cathedral.
Munmun had great fun in Worcester. Kay took her in all the shops to look for clothes for her. Her shopping includes Bag, shoes, Jeans and some tops, some for Mahi and something for Mini.
Had a nice meal in M&S and then back to Durrance Cottage for over night.
Munmun enjoyed her shopping in worcester and Kay was busy for whole night thinking What to do tomorrow.
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